Too Far Gone
by LiKe a dRuG
Summary: Haru can't stand the abuse anymore. He saves up his money to take Yuki far from the Sohmas and Akito. But when Yuki gets sick, Haru can't stop the pain. Yaoi Abuse Obsession
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Too Far Gone

**Contents:** Fruits Basket

**Pairing:** Haru x Yuki

Akito x Yuki

**Rating:** R

**Warnings:** Abuse. Illness. Bipolar personlity. Obsession.

**Summary: **Hatsuharu's watched Akito abuse Yuki for too long. With a year's allowance saved up there's enough money to run away with Yuki, to a hotel just outside of town. When an awful rainstorm hits, Yuki becomes very sick. Everyone in the Sohma family is looking for the two missing zodiac members, so calling Hatori is not an option. Neither is taking him ot the hospital with risk of changing. Hatsuharu has never been so scared, nor does he know what he can do.

**Enjoy**

_"Stop crying! What are you crying for?"_

_*Hic!*_

_"And stop hiccuping! You're still sick aren't you? You're always sick. You are sick. Everything about you is sick. Filthy rat, do you know why you're here? Huh? Your Mother gave you to me for a couple bucks. You're my property because your Mother wanted a bit of extra cash."_

I watched Akito, the head of our family, mercilessly harm Yuki, the cursed rat, for years on end. I'd see him stumble to his bedroom window where I'd meet him often, with black and blue bruises covering his pasty white skin. Sometimes I wondered how he could smile, when his lips were constantly stitched up. There was one insident when his arm had broken, and Akito blamed him for it although the entire family knew who broke the arm. Yuki would never cry to me though, but I heard him crying all the time. He'd cry for Akito to stop, or he'd cry himself to sleep. I had thought for a while he was just scared, but I soon learned that Yuki didn't cry because he was frightened.. He cried to mask the pain.

When Akito had heard about Shigure cheating on him with his mother, Ren, Yuki nearly died..

I skipped school, rushed to the hospital, and stayed by his bedside praying he'd wake up. I remember staying there the entire day, hiding my tears while others came to visit and letting them out in my own privacy. I kept thinking this would be the last time I'd see him, that the heart rate would flatline. But my fears were soothed when I felt a hand brush back my two toned hair. I looked up to see him smiling through all the bruises and cuts.

That's when I decided enough was enough.

I stopped spending my monthly allowance, and saved up until I knew I had enough for the two of us. It was hard at first, because I was so use to just spending everything I had the first week I had it. I didn't know how hard this would be back then.. Saving up the money was the easiest part of the operation. All I could think about was Yuki back in that hospital bed, clinging to life, and it was easy to keep my money saved.

I came to him at night, knocking at his window. He woke up, always groggy, and came to greet me.

"Hatsuharu.. What time is it?"

"Very late."

"Yeah... What do you want?"

"Let's go."

"Huh? Go? Go where exactly?"

"_Go_. Leave. We're going to leave this family, c'mon."

"I can't leave Haru.. Akito-"

"Akito's the reason we're leaving! Now you have two options," I was close to black at that point. "Either we can leave together, or I'm coming in there and kidnapping you. Both ways we're going."

It took him a few irritating moments to gather a few things in a backpack, change into day clothes, and climb out of his window. I took his hand, making him blush, and lead him out the Sohma gates.

"Haru, where are we going exactly?"

"Anywhere but here."

I lead him all the way out of town before it began raining. We came up to a hotel, not too far from where we were when the rain started, and bought a hotel room. It was enough for a couple of kids. I was very surprised to see they let us get a room for the night. They must have known our family.

Once inside the room Yuki started coughing. I asked him if he was alright, and he nodded.

"Yeah, it's normal."

I let Yuki use the bathroom to change while I changed out in the open room. Dry clothes and wet hair, it always seemed like a comfortable situation.

I thought I had done something good, for once in my life I had helped someone out.

I never thought I was doing more harm than help.. I never meant for it to be this way..

**[A/n]**

I wanted this idea to be a roleplay, but it seemed more appropriate as a fiction.

Still looking for players for different plots and pairings though! Interested? Review or PM me!


	2. Chapter 2

Back at the Sohma palace a very irritable God was waking from his night's sleep due to another nightmare. If this were any other time he would have curled himself into Kureno, the bird, and cried for him to stay faithful to his Lord. But tonight the head of the family was feeling particularly sadistic. Who better to satisfy his needs than Yuki?

And what do you think he did when he found his favorite play thing missing?

He probably screamed, and broke everything in that room looking for him. Then he most likely broke everything as he ran about the palace, looking for anyone to cry to. I imagined him to be similair to a freight train, destroying virtually everything and anyone in his path. Then there'd be Shigure, who'd come and stop Akito's rampaging. There'd be a thorough search party called all over night. The entire Sohma family, cursed and non-cursed, would be looking for Yuki.

Back at the hotel Yuki crawled into bed, still coughing just a tad. It wasn't serious, but it worried me slightly. Sometimes it would stop for an hour or two, but eventually Yuki would start back up.

"So, what now?" He asked.

I really didn't have an answer. I never planned things out that far. There was always some sort of dream I had, one where I'd be a white Knight in shining armor saving a Prince from an evil Lord. There was no fire breathing dragon, or guard dog, just the white Knight and his Prince running off into the sunset, to live happily ever after. I never thought anymore than that.. I never thought that I'd actually have to work for that happily ever after.

"I don't know.."

"But Haru.. You're the one who wanted to leave.."

"I know.."

".. What did you think we would do?"

"I don't know.."

Yuki stared at me with his big purple eyes. We were too young to do anything really.. Hell, we were so young we didn't even know how to run away properly. I was only fourteen, Yuki was fifteen. And here we were, making life decisions.

"Why are we here, Haru.."

I was silent.

"Haru?"

Still nothing.

"Answer me Haru."

"Aren't you happy to be away from that place?"

"Haru."

"Aren't you just happy you don't have to wake up to Akito tomorrow morning?"

"Haru."

"You're free. You have a chance to make your own choices, and do things you want to do."

"Haru."

"What!"

He stood up, looked at me with such a sorrowful expression I felt guilty. "Haru.. It wasn't your place.."

I glared at him, but it was getting harder and harder to do so. "You didn't _want_ to be saved?"

"You're only fourteen.."

"So?"

"You can't do this on your own.."

I kept yelling at him in my mind. I wanted him to thank me for saving him, to recognize I only wanted to help. But he was right. Yuki was always right.. I just never accepted his reasonings. I wanted to live in that fairy tale dream forever.

As the night went on Yuki coughed more and more. The morning came, but it was still dark. The rain was downpouring and it was thundering. Yuki had cacooned himself in the blankets of his chosen bed, shivering. It wasn't even that cold out.. When he rolled on his back, I sat on the edge of his bed and placed the back of my hand on his forehead. I was nearly burned. He was sick..

"I'll get you something to reduce the fever."

Ice... Ice would work, right? I took a plastic baggie, filled it with ice, and wrapped it in a hand towel. I hurried back and placed the cloth on Yuki's forehead. He was having troubles breathing..

I shuffled through his backpack for his inhaler. Yuki took his inhaler well, but it only regulated it for a few moments. He needed medical help. I wasn't a doctor, and the only doctor that could help was the head of his search party.

**[A/n]** As you've noticed, I write short chapters. This will not change, I'm guessing. Why? Part suspense and part because your reviews influence a lot of what will happen next. So gimme suggestions, and if your suggestion makes it I'll post your account name in the next chapter!


	3. Chapter 3

As Yuki appeared to me weaker and weaker, my heart raced faster and faster. In romance novels increased heart rate would symbolise something... lovingly. Don't put my heart in such contents. I was scared, but not yet terrified. He still had a bit of color to him at that point, he could sit up and form sentences. This was day one.

I exhaust this story solely on myself and Yuki. But there's more than one chapter to this story. Sometimes I forget to add them in, but don't over look them and count where I am as the most important chapter. A great man once told me that a man will exaggerate what he doesn't know, and become attatched to what he does know.

You could have begged Yuki's mother to care about her son's abscent, and she would have to put a price on her time. After all, she was a very busy woman. Her husband was the same, but without the class behind it. I'd be lying if I said saying Yuki was missing in his imediate family's house would go without another care. Ayame Sohma, the snake, cared more for his little brother than he did himself. If there wasn't a search party called already by the bad Lord, he would have called for one.

Shigure, Ayame, and Hatori Sohma were their own branch of the search and rescue. They were instructed by the baffled king to bring Yuki back alive at any cost. If he ran away, he'd be locked in the room made for the cat zodiac. If he was raped, kidnaped, or murdered Akito would personally take his revenge.

Not that God cared about the rat that much. They were not in love, and there was no one-sided love either. Akito had separation anxiety to say the exceptional least. He needed the zodiac near him at his beck and call. Rumors had it that his mother, Ren, had made a bet with Akito that if the zodiac bond was real than she would leave the family forever. I was never able to hear what Akito would have to do if he lost, but I guess losing wasn't an option.

I never liked losing either.

Akito Sohma was thoroughly obsessed with Yuki. Most of their days were spent together, making it extremly difficult to talk to Yuki inside the palace. Akito intended to warp Yuki's mind into a stolkholme syndrom, where Yuki needed Akito. There were very hush-hush rumors about Yuki and Akito's relationship. Many had said that Akito was abusive in more ways than one. I had just always figured perhaps it was emotional as well? I never counted sexual abuse. But what really caught my ear, was when I hear Shigure and Hatori talk about this rumor.

_"So Yuki knows now?"_

What did Yuki know? I wanted to ask, but I didn't want to impose.

The day went on, and the rainstorm wasn't letting up much.. Yuki got out of bed a few times during the day, but he was right back in bed soon after. He'd eat, throw up, brush his teeth, and go back to bed. We watched TV for most of the time, and I'd tend to his small needs. At that point he didn't have anything exceptional he needed done for him. A glass of water here, a painkiller there. But by the time the night came it became apparent to me he was getting worse rather than better.

I didn't know I was killing him slowly..

I thought I was helping..

I had to call a doctor, someone had to look at him for a few moments. I should have thought before I acted when I ran around the hotel asking door to door if anyone was a doctor. Eventually I got a nurse. She followed me back to our room, and I showed her to Yuki. She examened him over, nodding and the usual. When she asked him to stand up he must have stood too fast, and nearly fell. The only reason he didn't fall.. Was because she caught him.

Imediatly the nurse begun to freak out. Yuki ran under the bed the best he could, only looking for a place to get out of eyesight. But she had seen him..

If I wasn't fast with my reactions when she grabbed for me I would have turned into the cow. Instead, out of my own clumsiness I fell backwards onto the other bed, leaving the nurse exposed in her own fear.

I was caught between a rock and a hard place. I couldn't leave Yuki, transformed and sick.. But I had to do something about the nurse. I grabbed her shoulders when I got to my feet, and stared at her intently.

"You're a part of something bigger than you're aware of.." Maybe I could flatten this out with a storybook adventure. "Tonight, a tall man in a lab coat will be waiting for you at the Sohma palace. His name will be Hatori, tell him you have seen a zodiac."

She was shakey, but she nodded. Thank god for otakus. I watched her leave the room, and prayed to god that she'd find her way there. Yuki transformed back just as he was crawling out from under the bed. Normally I'd give him the privacy he wanted, but he was sick. I had to help him out. I picked the fragile boy up, and carried him to the bathroom where I washed his pale skin.

I shouldn't have told her to visit Hatori, but what else was I suppose to say? 'Yeah we transform into the zodiac cow and rat, you wanna help us out?'. It doesn't work that way.

Still, when the nurse arrived at the Sohma palace late that night and said she had seen a zodiac, a rat, Akito had his lead.

**[A/n]** Big thanks to Koshi Sekisen, forbiddensoul562, and mousecat for their suggestions! I will take a lot of what you guys suggested, because they sound really interesting! But please don't stop giving me ideas, I feed off those you know. They make this fiction delicious! Om nom nom~!

I was thinking of going along the lines of a Akito vs Hatsuharu thing. The only problem there is Akito wouldn't willingly let Yuki be the prize, in case s/he lost. I have something in mind.. but I don't want to ruin it.

**R&R**


	4. Chapter 4

A two day rainstorm cleared up temporarily. The clouds were grey and you could feel the low pressure in the air. It was only halfway over. Yuki wasn't getting any better. He stopped taking painkillers on his own, and I hand to help him swallow them. I'd place the small white pills in his mouth, sit him up and feed him a small mouthfull of water then gently stroke his throat. His face was flushed more often than not, but I had a feeling it was only red from the coughing. The rest of him was dangerously pale, his lips maktched his skin tone.

I feared the worst of everything.. Yuki was on his death bed. I'd hold him close to me when his soft voice cried about the cold. It was only the third day since we had ran away.

In the morning, when I made my walk downstairs for more ice, I saw a familiar black limo pull up fast into the parking lot. I knew who it was all too well. Akito. I wondered how he found out we were here, and thought back to the night before. The nurse. I had sent her to the Sohma palace to get her memory erased. I watched from behind a railing as the very same nurse was pushed out of the limo forcefully by the angry Lord.

"WHICH ROOM!?"

She looked just about as scared as I was at that moment. She fell on the pavement, crying. Still Akito yelled out, 'which room, which room!' I only had seconds to react. I sprinted so fast I didn't see her point. Akito would smile in a devious way that had said, 'I won,' but he was far from winning yet. With him was a man that I believed to be emotionally weaker than Yuki. Kureno Sohma, the bird, stepped from the limo. Akito pointed in the direction the nurse had, and Kureno set off. Akito didn't follow, for he had some unfinished business..

The nurse.

I didn't know it back then, but everyone we talked to were pulled into our crime. So they'd pay the price of a criminal. Akito pulled out a gun from the inside of his business suit jacket, aimed, and fired. The nurse never had her chance.

Meanwhile, I ran into the hotel room. I grabbed our bags, and tenderly picked Yuki up. A maid was in the room, cleaning. I acted fast, pressing Yuki up against her. Instantly he changed, making him pocket sized and easier to carry and conceal. She was in shock, but I could care less. I carefully held Yuki in my arms, running out the back as fast as I could just as I heard a gunshot.

Kureno opened the door to find no one occupying it but a maid who looked as though she's seen a ghost. I sort of wish she had. Kureno was kind, weak, and he barely had an opinion of his own in that head of his. I would have expected him to walk up to the maid, and calm her down. But instead, he just watched her with a sad expression, as though he felt pity for her. Akito came storming into the empty room, demanding to know where Yuki was. Kureno didn't say anything, and I wouldn't have expected him too. Akito saw the frightened maid, who was desparatly trying to escape. The hot weapon the demon lord held in his hands pointed to the maid,

"Where are they!"

"They left through the back!"

_BANG!_

I ran faster hearing a second gunshot. If I didn't think it was just my imagination the first time, telling me to run faster, than I wouldn't have needed a second gun fire to reassure me it was a bullet breaking the sound barrier. I stood in the middle of the street, just as an on-coming car was bolting down. He stopped on a whim, and I climbed in. It was a man and his wife, or perhaps they were dating. Either way, I begged the man kindly if he would take me as far as he could to the next town. He agreed, asking what was wrong. I couldn't tell him.. I simply said I wasn't safe.

I looked to Yuki in my arms. Changing back soon was a possibility.. I couldn't have that here. I asked his wife if she would hold Yuki for me, claiming it was my pet mouse. I was lucky to be riding in a car with the one woman on earth who wasn't afraid of rodents. Although I didn't trust anyone else to take care of Yuki while he was sick, I couldn't risk him changing.

"Is he sick?"

"Very sick.."

"Do you want us to bring you to a pet hospital?"

"No, he'll get better.. He's just asthmatic."

I wasn't thinking when I talked to them. Well, I was thinking, and worrying, but I wasn't thinking about what I was saying. I should have been thinking, I should have always been thinking.

We came up to the start of a mountain that lead up to Sensei Kazuma's dojo. I asked for the car to stop, in which the couple did. She handed Yuki back to me, and wished me luck before they drove off. I ran up to Master's dojo, calling out his name. I needed his help, he'd be the only one I could trust.

But the only one to answer my cries was a very irritated cat.

He came out from the kitchen, sipping milk from a carton with a towel around his neck. It should have been obvious that Kyo wasn't looking for Yuki..

"What are you doing here?" His ears perked up. "Is that... Dammit! Why'd you have to bring _him_ here!? Oh hey wait..." Kyo tilted his head in thought, walking up to us. "Isn't he.. missing?"

A cloud of lavender exploded and the rat became a prince. A pale, sickly prince who fell on the floor, unable to find the strength to stand. Quickly I threw my sweater over his naked body, looking to Kyo despratly.

"Please, Kyo, he needs help.."

I was begging. Pleading even. I've never been that scared in my entire life. I was always a bit stronger emotionally than other zodiac memebers provided my black side was concealed. But at that point I was convinced Yuki was going to die.

If Yuki was just a little sick, he'd be able to tend to himself. He would just take a painkiller, his inhaler, and he'd walk around and attend some small flower.. But Yuki couldn't even find the strength to open his eyes. If he wasn't breathing so heavey I would have thought he _was_ dead.

Kyo looked down at the dying rat, gave an unsure look, and finally nodded.

"Fine. But I'm not doing this because I like him or anything. Don't get the wrong idea!"

He wouldn't help me carry Yuki, but he lead me to an upstairs guest room where Yuki could rest. I placed him down on the bed, and knealt down by his side. Kyo watched from the doorway, having got a wet washcloth for me to place on Yuki's forehead to bring the fever down.

I thought back to the other night, when Yuki had asked me why I brought him there. If I could go back, I would have kept my cool. I wouldn't have gotten so offended, I wouldn't have felt so unappreciated. I would have told him because he was my only friend in the world and I was terrified that Akito would someday kill him.. I would have told him the dream I had of the white knight and the prince. I wouldn't have continuously interupted him, and I would have listened to him tell me this was a bad idea. I would have listened to Yuki's small but firm voice tell me, 'Haru, go back. Turn around while you still can. While we're still alive.'

I held his hand, pressing it to my forehead, pleading that he'd get better. I wanted him to wake up, I wanted him to be okay. Kyo cleared his throat and looked out the door.

"The entire family is looking for Yuki.. They don't know it's you who took him, but if Akito does find you.. He _will_ kill you. He's instructed everyone to kill a kidnapper on sight."

My eyes widened, and I stood up. Kyo looked at me and nodded, folding his arms.

"... I can't be held responsible for what you did."

"Please, Kyo.. Yuki's sick."

He nodded. "Yeah, I know, and you two can stay until he gets better. But if Akito finds you here, I'm not risking my neck to save you two." Kyo glared, suddenly looking a bit more older than he actually was. "I'm not the one who wanted to save the _rat_."

Kyo's decision was respectable. He'd give a place to stay, even if it was only Master's dojo, but he wouldn't take the credit. We looked back to the sick one with two very differen expressions that both held some sort of pity for him.

Akito was a freight train, running over the entire hotel. Eventually the beast within paused his monumentus destruction when a phone call came from the novelistic Sohma.

"Hatsuharu is missing."

**[A/n] I didn't really want to put Kyo in the story, but he was continuously requested. So here is his grand appearence! My personal feelings on Kyo are that he'd help, but he wouldn't risk his life for Yuki. He's a bit kinder to Yuki when he's sick, but in the end Kyo still has some firey anger for the poor rat.**

**I know all they've been doing so far is running away, but I don't want this story to be a five chapter thing. This might drag out to ten chapters, I'm hoping for more though. That means the story progression will be a bit slow.**

**I still need suggestions for further plot! I have a vague plan of what will happen, but it's you the reviewers who really help piece this fiction together.**

**Thanks again to mousecat, Koshi Sekisen, and Forbiddensoul562 for their suggestions and reviews! They're the main reason this story is alive. Without active readers, why bother writting?**


	5. Chapter 5

You could imagine what happened next. Our lord may have been tempormental but he wasn't dumb. He could piece things together fairly well, though it wouldn't take a genius to understand what happened. Akito had a feeling that Yuki was making friends outside of his small room. I just happened to be that friend.

Kyo let me make Yuki leek soup. It was good for a cold, and hopefully it would help Yuki get his strength back. Because he couldn't take pills safely anymore(there was a small risk of Yuki choking because he didn't swallow well) I crushed a couple tylenol and made sure they melted into the soup. Kyo tried his best to keep his distance, but maybe the cat inside him wanted to see the tresspasser in his territory because he kept lingering around the room. I fed Yuki spoon by spoon. Don't think he was a vegetable, because you could tell he was all there. You could see him suffering, which hurt the most. He'd scream when the pain was unbearable, but sometimes hearing him scream was better than when his throat was sore from heavey breathing where he couldn't scream. If I heard him scream I knew it was a good day. He'd say my name sometimes, but those were just substitutes for screams. Still... It almost sounded like there was more to what he wanted to say than just my name. But he had no breath to form sentences anymore.

He pushed away the spoon as I continued to feed him. It stung his throat and made his stomach sick. But he had to eat.. He hadn't eaten in two days or so, he'd starve himself if he didn't eat. With tears in his eyes he found enough strength to swat the spoon out of my hand.

"You need to eat." I was very calm for someone in my situation.

He coughed. All he ever did was scream and cough. This wasn't the Yuki I remembered.. The Yuki I wanted to run away with. He was someone else, someone I had forced him to be out of my own selfishness. Or was he still Yuki somewhere in there? Was this just a part of Yuki only Hatori's seen? Was he really this weak when he was sick? Yuki was a very strong individual, even with his soft exterior. He was able to tell you what he thought without holding back, he could send the cat flying across the room bruised and bloodied. I wanted to run away with that Yuki. But I of all people should know how many colors there is in a person.. Not everything is black and white.. Sometimes there's a grey area no one sees.

"Yuki.. please eat.."

I tried again, but he only slapped that spoon away from himself. Just as he was about to scream I shoved a spoonful of the leek soup in his mouth. With what I'll blame on an adrenaline rush, Yuki sat up holding his mouth tightly. I pulled a waste basket over and he emptied all my hard work from his stomach into the trash. As I rubbed his back I felt like a failure. I had tried to help him.. I did, but all my work was regurgitated. As he stopped hacking I looked down to see just how much had come out and how much was still in his stomach. What I saw was a waste basket full of thick blood. My eyes widened and I stopped rubbing his back. He looked back to me with the most palest of faces, drips of red blood staining his lips.

... I was killing him...

... I was killing him _s l o w l y_...

"Kyo!"

I couldn't think alone. I needed someone here who could calm me when I couldn't calm myself. The cat reluctantly walked in casually, and didn't notice the trash.

"What."

"Yuki."

"Yeah? What about him?"

"... Kyo.. Blood."

The cat got closer, and saw the stains on Yuki's chin. He was just as shocked as I was, but he was a bit more level headed than I could dream about being. He shoved his hands into his pockets and looked away. I stared at him, pleading for answers. How could I help? What could I do to stop this?

"You have to take him to Hatori.."

That was the one answer I didn't want to hear. Seeing Hatori would risk my life. But if I didn't see him I'd risk Yuki's life, the life of someone who was hesitant to follow me into this grave.

"Is there any other way?"

"Hatori has the only medicine Yuki needs.. He'll be the only one who can help him."

"Then.. Then I'll get it. I'll get whatever medicine Yuki needs."

"It's not that easy. You'd have to break into the Sohma palace, steal from Hatori, and escape. Alive. Then run all the way back here hoping his condition didn't go down the toilet."

I nodded, standing firmly. I looked to Kyo with the utmost confidence.

"I'll do it."

Kyo sighed with a smile. He always liked to see confidence.

"You're going to risk your life to save the life of a drowning rat."

**[A/n]**

I'm so bad at short chapters! I'm so sorry I can't wrote more at a time. I don't want to push it too far and end up with nothing for an ending.

Anyway, here's the question for my frequent reviewers(and new ones to! Don't be shy!):

**Should Kyo help Haru steal the medicine, or should he stay behind to watch Yuki**?


	6. Chapter 6

A smile that played on the sharp edge between white and black crossed my lips. It softened as I looked to the sickly one. As soon as I saw him crying the smile faded. He was crying.. Between sobs he coughed, holding his thinning stomach so tight his nails almost dug through his skirt into his skin.

Yuki didn't cry because he was scared, he cried to mask the pain..

Blood continued to spray from his coughing, with tears sliding down his cheeks. I did this to him. I was the one who brought Yuki to this point. When I thought about running away, I thought about myself getting sick. I thought about how much _I'd_ be hurting because of this. All the things I left behind, the family that cared for me and the friends I've made. I never once thought Yuki would be the one hurting. He was suppose to be the one benefitting from this all.

Time wasn't something I could waste at this point. Grabbing my sweater, I headed out the door. Kyo followed after me, rushing to keep up.

"You don't even remember the way back to the Sohma palace."

"Vaguely. Yuki needs it."

"Let me come with you. I can get us there faster, I can keep a look out while you steal the meds."

"No. Kyo, you need to stay behind and watch out for Yuki."

"He's not going anywhere, c'mon!"

I turned around and glared at him, the bit of black showing through my expression. He stopped in his tracks, returning a bad look that was only masked by my own.

"Yuki needs your help. I know you two are in some sort of fight between your stupid Zodiac forms or whatever, but for this one moment in time Yuki needs you."

He smirked, folding his arms. "He's weak.. Do you really trust me?"

I grabbed the front of his shirt, pulled him close to me and nearly headbutted him.

"If you do anything to hurt him.. You'll be winning against the rat, but you'll have a horn stabbed right through your front."

It was a dumb threat, and I'm sure I could do better, but I couldn't think of a better one. All I wanted was to run there. I was always running. Running away, running there.. Where was I running to in the end?

Kyo put his hands up as a 'okay-okay'. I shoved him down and ran off the other way. I had a very vague knowledge of how to get to the Sohma palace from Master's dojo, so getting there was gaurnteed to take a few days. I didn't _have_ a few days.. If only I could get a led.

If you can remember the very nice couple who had given Yuki and I a ride to Master's dojo, the next part of my story will come naturally to you.

Akito and Kureno were still on the look out. Kureno drove Akito out of the hotel parking lot, where Akito had killed two innocent people who had seen Yuki change forms. He was off on a murderous rant on what he'd do to me once he found me. As I said, our lord was not dumb, just irritable. He talked about the different ways he'd kill me, or how he'd torcure me first. The fact I was a Zodiac barely phased him in this blind hatred. Kureno didn't add any emotion to the situation, the reason being he simply didn't know Yuki or I. He had no physical connection to us beyond it upset Akito. And Kureno was the world's biggest teacher's pet. If Akito was God, Kureno would be Joseph. Kill his children and still he'd love God. Seeing Kureno so apathetic to the fact I had stolen heaven's precious lamb, Akito misdirected his anger. He grabbed for Kureno's neck..

Coming to a stop light the very nice couple from before drove around a blind corner. They looked both ways, and pull out slowly..

The bird couldn't keep the wheels straight with a vicious lord taking his anger out on him..

_BAM!_

The cars collided.

Fast, loud, and terrifying.

The man didn't make it.

His wife, or girlfriend had crawled out of the car, crying for help. Fortunatly Kureno and Akito hadn't taken the brunt of the crash. Kureno had taken more damage than Akito, who was more than lucky(though strangly not as thankful as he should be) that he only expirenced whiplash. He stomped out to the woman, smacked her down, and pressed his foot to her neck.

"Have you seen two lost boys?"

The woman shook her head, and gripped at Akito's boot.

"How about a rat? Have you seen a cute little rat?"

In fear of her life, she nodded. Akito released his foot a bit, to give the false illusion she'd be safe if she told him what he wanted to hear.

"There was a very strange boy.. He had a pet rat.. Who was very sick."

"Where did they go?"

"Some dojo-"

Akito laughed, putting pressure on the woman's neck. She had given away our position, just like the nurse. Akito wasn't as generous as he had been with the nurse. The nice woman's last moments in life were suffocating due to a crushed larynx.

"C'mon Kureno! We're heading out for Kazuma's!"

There's been a reason I haven't been talking about the mabudachi much. Because while Akito and Kureno were out looking and Yuki grew sicker by the day, the mabudachi half-assed looked for him. Don't get me wrong, Ayame Sohma of all people was worried sick about Yuki, but they weren't stupid either. Just like Akito could piece things together, so could they. While they looked they talked, and the more they talked the more they thought looking for Yuki was a bad idea. They tried to come up with ways of protecting me so I wouldn't have to face Akito's wrath, but in the end they knew Yuki's living with Akito's abuse had become so apparent even the 'children' were seeing how wrong it was now.

They decided some sort of action had to be taken. Each mabudachi brought a different emotion to the game field.

Ayame only cared for Yuki, and how to protect him. His suggestion was kind hearted but foolish. He had suggested that they let Yuki and I be together. He had this awkward scenerio of some boy romance between the two of us. Not that I didn't love Yuki, I loved him very much from the first time I met him. But Yuki had no eyes for me. Ayame had suggested even buying a very small apartment for the two of us to live in where we'd be externally cared for by the three.

Hatori was a kind man, but out of the three he was the most cold. He had to be, Shigure and Ayame were worthless emotion-addicts. Hatori's suggestion was to find the two of us, bring us back, and claim we had been playing and lost our way home. It would save me, and return Yuki to Akito. He wanted to keep the two of us safe but he couldn't have an angry Akito forever.

Shigure had made a plan in which everything seemed to make sense, but it was unachievable. He had suggested that they take Yuki back to his parents, pay them the same amount Akito payed for Yuki to take him back, and give interest rates if they could agree to say that they missed their son dearly. Yuki's parents had sold him to Akito at a very young age, kissing the money wad they recieved for it. They'd never go for it. And it didn't cover why I was missing.

The mabudachi had tried, but they were all failures in their own way.

**[A/n]**

**ForbiddenSoul562 had guessed right at Yuki's illness. I was hoping it wasn't that obvious as of now, but I guess if you thought about it for a while you could understand what he has. The illness will be more prominent in later chapters, but as of right now all you need to know is he's very sick and that his sickness is causing Haru to run off to the Sohma palace.**

**mousecat had an amusing idea of kidnapping Hatori. xD that deserved brownie points.**

**And to Koshi Sekisen: You're right, Yuki is getting frustrated with Haru. You'll find out in later chapters just how right you are, but for now I'll build up to the climax for that.**

**FYI: THERE IS NO STOCKHOLME SYNDROM IN THIS STORY. That's important to keep in mind. **


	7. Chapter 7

Now, it _was_ Master's dojo we were holding Yuki at. He wasn't off on some far away trip, but when he knew he didn't have classes Master would take day trips that lasted long hours. You'd be very lucky to catch him at home sometimes. Other times Kunimitsu Tomoda, a student and assistant at Master's dojo, would answer. He was a nice guy, and I wish I had thought about him when I left the dojo. Kyo would have been a nice replace for a map. But Kunimitsu had a family to go home to, a mother and a father who needed him alive. Not to mention I doubt he'd have the ability to deal with poor Yuki.

As stated Akito had a lead. And like a bat out of hell he took the wheel from Kureno, forcing him into the passenger's seat. The gas pedal was glued to the floor with Akito behind the wheel. During this time we were more than lucky to have Master coming back from his town trip around the same time. He had been out shopping with Isuzu and Kagura to take their minds off the problems going on in the main house. Or so one would think, with the bags on bags Kagura carried at her side.

Akito pulled up, sliding the car to the side as he hit the brakes. Master nearly had to push Kagura out of the way to avoid the car. Akito threw the door open and his first glare shot to Rin. She shot a glare right back. I knew she wouldn't give in such a weak manner, even if it was just dirty looks. She hated Akito and Akito hated her.

Master bowed. "Akito, nice to see you today."

"Don't play dumb Kazuma, I know you have them!"

Master blinked, and nodded. "Yes.. They've been with me all day. I took them out to ease their minds."

Akito growled. "Not _them_! Yuki and the dumb ox."

"Hatsuharu and Yuki are here?"

Kyo was watching from the top floor. As soon as he saw Akito growling he rushed downstairs.

"They were, but they left."

Akito glared harder at the cat. Kyo was in hot water, and if he wasn't so good at acting like he didn't care his cover would have been blown long ago.

"What?"

".. They left?"

"Yeah. I couldn't stand having that damn Yuki here.. _I'm_ living with Shishou. He's not allowed here."

Akito snapped his fingers for Kureno to come over. In which like a good boy he did so. He pointed to Kyo, and orded him restrained. But before Kureno could move Master, Rin and Kagura dropped whatever bags they held and formed a protective barrier in front of him. They weren't squishing together packed like elephants, but more as highly trained martial artists ready to defend.

"We made a promise Akito. You wouldn't take Kyo until _after_ highschool."

"The promise is over, Kazuma! He's been near my property! He's _seen_ him!"

Kureno didn't move. How was he suppose to fight off the three of them? They were very skilled martial artists, and he was an isolated caged bird his entire life. Akito expected him to fight them off? Akito turned to Kureno, growled, threw him to the ground and decided to get his own hands mud-dirty.

He attatcked Kagura first, thinking she was most feeble. Akito of all people on this earth should have known how lethal the Boar was. Afterall, he obsessed himself with the zodiac. Of course, this was their lord. The animal inside them didn't want to hurt him. It rebeled against their bodies, barely letting them defend themelves. Akito took Kagura in a choke hold, aiming the gun at her temple. He wouldn't kill her, she was a harmless zodiac as of yet.

"Give me the Cat, or you lose a Boar."

"Kyo!"

Kagura struggled against Akito's grip, but her animal couldn't fight back. The same went for Rin and Kyo. They wanted to help, but they physically couldn't move their bodies toward Akito. Instead they wanted to bow in defeat, and give Akito what he wanted. Master, however, was not affected by this. Now, Master wasn't a typically violent person, but mess with his students and he's a whole different man. Unfortunatly when Master tried to help and fight back, both Kyo and Rin restrained him against all their wills. The horse and the cat _wanted_ to protect their lord, just like they promised in the zodiac story.

Master wouldn't fight against his pupils. He gave in, taking a knee and bowing in defeat with Rin and Kyo following his lead. Though he couldn't fight against Akito, Kyo wouldn't give him Yuki's position. Being close to Rin, he whispered to her.

"He's upstairs. Sick. Watch him for Haru."

She had heard him, nodded, and Kyo stood to give himself up. Needless to say Kagura owed him big time. Kyo was taken of his own will into the limo, forcefully pushed inside. Kureno would drive back and Akito sat with him in the backseat.

Rin watched the car pull out of sight, making sure she couldn't see that damn limo before she ran upstairs. Kagura, still shocked and thankful to be alive, ran after her.

"Isuzu! Where are you going!"

"He said Yuki was upstairs!"

Master heard the girls shouting to each other, but he wouldn't follow. Inside he beat himself black and blue for letting Kyo go, this you could tell by his face.

Rin slammed the door open, and saw poor Yuki gasping for breath. She stared, wide eyed, and covered her mouth in shock. Kagura had almost bumped into her when she caught up. Her reaction to Yuki's condition was much the same. Kagura was first to approach the drowning rat, and lightly touch his forehead.

"He's burning up.."

It was hard sometimes to tell if Yuki was really there or not when you first walked in a room, so I imagined they thought he was a vegetable at that point. Well, until Kagura tried to pull away and Yuki grabbed her hand. He wanted human contact, a soft female hand to stroke his forehead and tell him everything would be alright. I wish.. I wish _**I**_ was there, to be the one to tell him everything would get better..

My abscense was what set off Rin. Kyo had mentioned my name, and she had known I had been missing for a few days now, nearly a week. Isuzu was a smart girl. She was the best kind of girl out there. She knew I ran away with Yuki as soon as the proof was there weezing in her face. I did love Rin, and she was not in the best positions either, but I couldn't save everyone. I had to ask who was worse off, and save one person at a time. I could only imagine how she felt seeing I had tried to save Yuki instead of her. She turned around and left, not wanting to be around to care for Yuki. Kagura, however, was a saint in a female body. She was an angel sent straight from heaven to take over caring for poor Yuki when he needed it most.

Rin left Master's property, and left to look for me.

Meanwhile, I ran as fast as I could but with a horrible sense of direction it was a long time before I reached the main house. In fact, I had taken so much time, Akito had arrived a few minutes before I came to the hills that overlooked the estate. If I squinted I could see Akito pushing Kyo out of the limo, and ordering Kureno to get the doors for him.

They had captured Kyo.

**[A/n]**

**If you're reading this thinking this is just a string of unfortunate events, I'm going to tell you there is in fact a plot to this and it will get worse before it gets better.**

**Kunimitsu Tomoda is in fact a (minor) Fruits Basket character. He was in the manga, as another student/assistant of Kazuma's. He liked to tease Kyo a lot, but he was mainly seen as a male maid.**

**Koshi Sekisen was right in Japanese children get shots for Yuki's disease as children. However, it's like the chicken pox shot we get in America. Most children get it, some dont, and even if you get it sometimes you're not garunteed a get-out-of-jail-free card. You are right, it's definitly curable... If Yuki can get help in time.**

**You're also right in the fact that the mabudachi are very smart people, but to be honest I needed them to have fail plans for now. They probably come up with something while other events are going on but those are probably flawed as well. In other words, they're not looking very hard for Yuki and Haru but they're sure thinking hard about them.**

**Thank you mousecat for the tip of Kazuma. I had thought about putting him in, but I was curious as to whether people would accept him. Weird as it might sound.**

**Forbiddensoul562 was wondering how Hatsuharu knows all the events going on in which he's not present. If I told you that, it'd spoil the ending. If you want a spoiler hint(stop reading if you don't) the fiction is narrated by Haru in **_**past tense**_**.**

**Oh, and I might be changing the name of the fiction to "Hands On Me". It was inspired by Vanessa Carlton's song "Hands On Me", in which I feel is a good interpertation of Hatsuharu's (unrequainted and silent) feelings towards Yuki. **


	8. Chapter 8

_We were very young when I met her. It was only natural we became friends, after all she was such an outcast. It attracted me towards her. I wanted to see what the horse had to offer. Of course, back then, I was just barely free of my own internal pain. Yuki had freed me, he had let me see the world as real and the zodiac as a story. I can't say I didn't like Rin. She was just the kind of a girl a man needed. Being little I didn't see it, but I was lucky enough to have that kind of woman's heart._

_She'd visit Yuki with me, and keep watch for any adults(or Akito) who we might get in trouble with. We were never 'allowed' in Yuki's room, but we'd venture inside anyway. She was the first to show me I could break the boundries set by others. When I was told I couldn't go inside, she grabbed my hand and pulled me in. Rin was never afraid on the outside._

_The worst things happen to the best people.._

_I remember it as if I was watching it all over again. She ran to me one night, crying as if she'd heard her parents died. But it was far worse. They didn't want her anymore. They had had enough of her, and threw her out of her house. She was still so young.._

_I couldn't just sit by and watch as she was mistreated. They yelled and screamed at her, calling her every foul name in the book. I stepped in, my black side only aiding my white in confidence and fury._

_"Rin thinks that she's been 'bad'. But who do you think.. is the one who's being __**bad**__ here! Having people take their anger out on us, being made light of... We kids get hurt just like you do! Why can't you understand something so simple?"_

_She stared at me, her eyes big and glossy. She was crying, she couldn't hold it in like the strong girl I knew her as. It only supplied my temper._

_"Haru..."_

_"Apologize! Apologize! Apologize to Rin!_

_She went to live with Kagura after that, but I still visited her every day if not more often than before. I didn't see it then, but Rin was becoming more and more attatched to me. I couldn't call it 'love' exactly, but more of an 'obsession'. Where I looked for friendship, she looked for need. She wanted me to need her, and she wanted to be my heart._

_"If you die, I want to die with you."_

_I had to correct the problem before it festered. I told her I did want her around, that I did feel this need to be with her. But there was no emotion to it more than platonic needs. She cried again, telling me she loved me. But it wasn't love.. It was obsession._

_We still visited Yuki in his dark room, but she grew more and more irritable of him. Maybe Rin figured it out.. Maybe she could see through my reasons. Whatever it was, from that point and on when ever Rin spoke up from her silent corner of the room.. It was time to go._

She was a horse. A valient mare. Her feet could take her anywhere she wanted in a fraction of the time it took me. And when Isuzu Sohma felt a need to be somewhere, she went faster than the clap of thunder hit the earth to shake the trees in the ground.

You could imagine how long it took her to get to the main house. Of course, no matter how fast she was and how determined, with my sense of direction, finding me would turn to be a problem speed couldn't fix.

I held onto a tree branch as I hid, watching Kyo being pushed forward into the main house's door. I wanted to call out to him, but giving away my position wouldn't help. So I studied the situation carefully, paying strict attention to Kyo. He wasn't struggling.. In fact, he was going willingly. No matter how much Akito taunted him, he was calm and.. nearly lifeless. It was as if he was hollow from the inside, like there was no sight of Kyo in him. His body was there, but that was it.

It couldn't be hyponosis. Hatori wasn't present, or at least he wasn't with Akito at that point. This zombie-like expression Kyo presented was of his own will.

Once the dark lord, his hench man, and the captured cat entered the palace I made my way down to the front gate. I took the easiest path -- straight. It was a huge risk, not only was it dangerous to travel down that steap hill, but I could have given myself away. I wasn't exactly blending in with the surroundings.

Living on the inside I knew every nook and cranny into the palace. Most importantly, I knew where the dark room was. And that's exactly where Akito brought Kyo. It wasn't a sixth sense I knew, but by chance I checked the dark room's window first. Stealth wasn't my strength, so I sat underneath the window to listen to the happenings on the inside. Being out here, exposed, was a risk.. But I've already chanced it a million times since the beginning, why stop now? What other option did I have..

While I waited for Akito's taunts to subside, I thought about Yuki.. Was he in good hands?

Kagura was taking gentle care with him.. I wish I had known it then. She was the mother at that moment that he never had. She cried for him, but Kagura was able to keep a soft smile for him. She'd stroke his hair gently, tell him everything was going to be alright. She'd change the washcloth on his forehead, and rub his back when his stomach gagged him.

Even through the painful illness, Yuki knew with Kagura he'd be okay. She made it tolerable for him. When she rose to get the chai tea, he grabbed her sleeve. The kettle screamed, but Kagura didn't leave to get it. Instead, Master had been the one to move it off the burner after five minutes of hissing.

Yuki was starting to need her. And Kagura wanted to help out of the kindness in her heart. With her he was in good hands. Better hands than in mine.. Gentle hands that did good for him. Hands that could heal him.. Not hands that would take him from safety..

Hands that I wanted to have.

**[A/n]**

**Not much happened in this chapter, but it was kind of important. Sorry the storyline only moved an inch forward, but the character development sky rocketed.**

**Speaking of character development, I've been re-reading my Year Of The Cat Fanbook to help the story progress. Helped a whole lot with Rin's character.**

**After this chapter I don't think I'll write for Kureno anymore. He's no longer needed. Akito just wanted someone with him to drive him around before, and with the mabudachi out on their own who's gunna cart him around? A maid? Ha.**

**Kagura's a good caregiver, but that doesn't mean Yuki's getting better. It just means he's in better conditions. He won't get better until he's out of Kazuma's.**

**I'm not too sure whether I want to put in romance or not.. It's obvious Haru loves Yuki, but I'm not sure how I feel on Yuki starting something with Kagura. Maybe not. There's already two couples of 'unrequitted love'.. why add a third one? Or maybe she will start liking Yuki.. But I can't see Kagura being a Year Of The Rat fangirl..**

**It's up to you reviewers. Tell me what you want to see with romance between characters. Be specific who you want it between and how!**


End file.
